This invention relates generally to a cup holder and, more particularly, to a cup holder insert for use in a mobile medium.
Cup holders serve an essential function in our society. They enable millions of Americans to go about their daily lives without having to sacrifice immediate and ready enjoyment of their favorite beverages, which include soda, water, juice, and, of course, coffee. Particularly important are cup holders that allow us to consume beverages during transportation.
Automobile manufacturers, for example, include as a standard feature in most vehicles some form of generic or standard cup holder. One common type comprises a depression or cavity (usually part of the console design) that holds a container while occupants drive or ride. Another common type is a retractable cup holder tray that an occupant may conceal when not in use, such as within the dashboard, for example. While these common cup holders relieve most occupants from having to physically hold their containers while they drive or ride, they nonetheless suffer from several notable drawbacks.
One problem with these standard cup holders is their inability to properly accommodate cups or containers of various sizes. This is particularly troublesome in light of the ever-increasing size of common containers, such as the super-size containers available from many fast-food restaurants or convenient stores, like the Biggie(trademark) and Big Gulp(trademark) respectively offered by Wendy""s(trademark) restaurants and 7-11(trademark) convenience stores, for example. Such larger containers tend to be top-heavy and thus render standard cup holders essentially useless. However, standard cup holders are so deficient that even smaller and medium size containers can be improperly retained.
Another notable problem of standard cup holders is their inability to properly prevent spillage resulting from sudden acceleration, deceleration, sharp turns, or other sudden movement of the vehicle. The results can be particularly onerous should the spillage scald the occupants or cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
While cup holder insert designs that attempt to cure the above problems are known in the prior art, they too suffer from several drawbacks. Typical problems include their inability to be used with standard cup holders of various sizes, and their inability to retract along with a cup holder tray when not in use.
These and other problems exist.
An object of the present invention is to overcome the aforementioned and other drawbacks existing in the prior art.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a cup holder that reduces the likelihood of spillage resulting from acceleration, deceleration, or other sudden movement of the vehicle.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a cup holder insert that can be stored when not in use.
Another object of the present invention is provide a retractable cup holder insert.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a retractable cup holder insert that works in conjunction with a retractable cup holder tray or other stand cup holder(s).
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a portable cup holder insert than can be used with standard cup holder designs of various sizes and that can retract when not in use.
According to one embodiment of the invention, a cup holder is provided. The cup holder comprises a body having a top portion and a bottom portion interconnected by a side wall, and at least two stave elements.
According to another embodiment, a retractable cup holder insert is provided. The insert comprises adjustable base support means for receiving the base of a container; retractable side support means for retaining the container; and means for attaching the insert to a retractable cup holder tray.
In another embodiment of the invention, a cup holder insert for use in conjunction with a retractable cup holder tray is provided. The cup holder insert comprises: a circular base having top and bottom rims interconnected by a side wall, the side wall having a notch area defined by a first and second wall interconnected by at least one spring element; two stave elements connected to the top rim of the base by a first hinge element, the stave elements having a top and bottom portion interconnected by second hinge element, the first and second hinge elements operating to enable selective concealment of the stave elements within the area formed by the side wall and the planes defined by the top and bottom rims of the base; an acceleration tab connected via a third hinge element to the top rim of the base in a position 90 degrees away from either of the two slave elements relative to the center point of a circle defined by the top rim, the third hinge element operating to enable selective concealment of the acceleration tab within the area formed by the side wall and the planes defined by the top and bottom rims of the base; at least one support tab element connected to an inner wall of the side wall; and a retainer tab connected to the bottom rim of the base for connecting the base to the retractable cup holder tray.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate various embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.